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Post by Valerie on May 27, 2014 19:06:30 GMT -5
Have y'all done much with sourdough?
I think I'd like to start using it, but after reading about it and watching some GNOWFGLINS videos, I'm a little bit scared I might be biting off more than I can chew. That lady talks about feeding the starter at least once, if not twice, a day. On the video about starting a culture, two or three times, she took out half and discarded it and then kept feeding, to multiply the amount of bacteria.
My question is this, once it's cultured and ready to use, and you feed it every day, do you have to take some out and use it every day? I can't see me baking every single day. I'm doing good to bake once a week!
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Post by michelle on May 28, 2014 6:56:26 GMT -5
I don't think that you need to bake with it every day. At least it doesn't seem so from this article: nourishedkitchen.com/sourdough-tips-and-tricks/I want to start working with sourdough soon. I have some dried starter, I need to see if it's still good, and if it isn't I'll buy a new one.
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Post by guimauve on May 28, 2014 7:33:20 GMT -5
I have one that I only feed if it goes 7-10 days without being used. We aren't huge bread eaters, so there are weeks that I need to discard (which I am sad to do...) half a cup or so to feed it, but I usually try to find someone who wants some starter...
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Post by Valerie on May 28, 2014 8:39:37 GMT -5
So once you have a starter, you don't have to feed it every day and you don't have to use it every day? Cool!
Do you keep it in the fridge or something, to slow down the growth?
I know that's how the ginger bug starter is. If you don't want to use it for a while, you stick it in the fridge and then just take it out for a day or so to wake it back up.
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Post by guimauve on May 28, 2014 9:21:49 GMT -5
I do keep mine in the refrigerator, I am sure it slows it down some, but I mostly keep it in there because I have other ferments around the house and they can't all be out there contaminating each other!
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Post by Granny Smith on Jun 8, 2014 21:30:34 GMT -5
If you think it's going to be a while till you bake again, or end up with an overabundance of starter, you can freeze it. When you thaw it, just feed it and you're good to go.
I prefer a dough sourdough starter, though. You just save back a hunk (about the size of your fist) of whatever bread dough you're making and store it in a container of dry flour (not your canister!) When you want bread, soak it in warm water to activate it, then treat it like regular yeast and continue with your recipe. Before you shape your bread, save out a hunk for next time.
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Post by michelle on Jun 9, 2014 6:30:14 GMT -5
My sourdough starter seems to be working. I'll continue feeding it this week and then bake with it this weekend.
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Post by guimauve on Jun 10, 2014 7:44:16 GMT -5
I prefer a dough sourdough starter, though. You just save back a hunk (about the size of your fist) of whatever bread dough you're making and store it in a container of dry flour (not your canister!) When you want bread, soak it in warm water to activate it, then treat it like regular yeast and continue with your recipe. Before you shape your bread, save out a hunk for next time. I have tried several times this way...and it fails me every time!!! I HATE being bested by a hunk of yeast! But it just occurred to me...I always put it in a bowl of flour in the fridge - should it just be in the cupboard instead? And, when I soak it, I soak it in the amount of liquid the recipe calls for, is that what you do? Maybe I have been doing it all wrong...
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Post by guimauve on Jun 10, 2014 7:45:22 GMT -5
Michelle, glad it is turning out for you, I think you'll enjoy it. Did you start/dry it yourself or did someone share with you? I saw that you said it is dried - do you just spread some on a paper and let it dry up?
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Post by michelle on Jun 10, 2014 8:42:42 GMT -5
Well now I'm not sure if I killed it or not. I mis-remembered the instructions and instead of pouring off the liquid on top, I was mixing it in. Anyone know if I killed it?
Oh, and I had bought it from Cultures for Health.
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Post by guimauve on Jun 10, 2014 9:48:27 GMT -5
I haven't ever worked with a dry/commercial sourdough, but sometimes I mix back in the hooch, sometimes I pour it off...I decide based on the consistency of what I have going on in my jar.
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Post by Granny Smith on Jun 10, 2014 9:59:48 GMT -5
I prefer a dough sourdough starter, though. You just save back a hunk (about the size of your fist) of whatever bread dough you're making and store it in a container of dry flour (not your canister!) When you want bread, soak it in warm water to activate it, then treat it like regular yeast and continue with your recipe. Before you shape your bread, save out a hunk for next time. I have tried several times this way...and it fails me every time!!! I HATE being bested by a hunk of yeast! But it just occurred to me...I always put it in a bowl of flour in the fridge - should it just be in the cupboard instead? And, when I soak it, I soak it in the amount of liquid the recipe calls for, is that what you do? Maybe I have been doing it all wrong... I store it at room temperature, punching it down occasionally (when it threatens to burst out of the container). Storing it in the fridge would slow it down considerably, but shouldn't stop the yeast action completely. I soak it like you do, in the amount of liquid the recipe calls for, but add the sugar to it, too.
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Post by guimauve on Jun 10, 2014 12:08:26 GMT -5
hmmm...maybe I'll continue trying then!
Thank you :-)
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Post by Valerie on Jun 10, 2014 18:34:36 GMT -5
How long does this soaking take? Minutes, like proofing yeast, or hours?
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Post by Valerie on Jun 10, 2014 18:35:13 GMT -5
Oh yeah, also, what if what you want to make isn't more bread? Like you want to make pancakes or some other baked good? How do you know how much of the dough wad to use?
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